Puerto Rican boxing sensation Xander Zayas is set to make history on Saturday, January 31, when he puts his WBO junior middleweight world championship on the line against WBA titleholder Abass Baraou. This rare unification clash will take place at the iconic Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, marking only the second occasion in history that two world titles have been unified on Puerto Rican soil.
A Fighter Forged Through Adversity
The 23-year-old Zayas, once boxing's youngest male world champion, has deliberately chosen a dangerous path. Rather than opting for an easier voluntary defence, he has pursued immediate unification against another reigning champion. This bout is scheduled to occur approximately an hour before the Teofimo Lopez–Shakur Stevenson main event at Madison Square Garden, highlighting its significance.
Zayas's decision reflects profound personal philosophy rooted in his difficult beginnings. 'It definitely took me some time to enjoy boxing as a sport because it's incredibly hard, especially on your body,' he revealed. 'But I was already being hit at school and in my neighbourhood. So, when I started I didn't start for fun, I started because I had to learn to defend myself against those bullies.'
From Self-Defence to Discipline
What began as mere self-preservation gradually transformed into something far deeper. 'I fell in love with the discipline. I fell in love with the hard work and the dedication you have to put in. It taught me a lot,' Zayas explained. Interestingly, he never returned to confront his childhood tormentors. 'I never actually went back to those bullies,' he said. 'I didn't think I needed to show them anything. I felt like they kind of noticed the confidence growing and me not being afraid anymore.'
This internal transformation, he asserts, proved more valuable than any external validation, and continues to shape his approach as he prepares for one of the most significant fights ever staged in Puerto Rico.
Carrying the Weight of Expectation
When Zayas signed with Top Rank at just 15 years old and received public endorsements from island legends Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad, he felt the burden of expectation—but frames it differently than most fighters. 'I wouldn't say pressure. It's a responsibility,' he clarified. 'I know what I have to do. I know what I want to do. I know what I want to accomplish.'
While praise from champions he grew up watching carries emotional weight, Zayas remains pragmatic. 'But obviously, at the end of the day, it doesn't mean anything if I don't prove it every time I'm in the ring.' For him, reputation must be earned repeatedly through action. 'I have to stay locked in, I have to stay hungry, I have to stay dedicated to this. To keep showing up, to keep showing that I keep getting better, to keep showing that I keep improving, to keep showing that I am who I say I am,' he emphasised. 'Because it doesn't matter who says that, outside of me showing it.'
Prioritising Legacy Over Record
This mindset explains why, after capturing the WBO title by unanimous decision in July, Zayas rejected safer options to pursue immediate unification against Baraou. 'I feel like some people are afraid to lose their 0, or some people are just interested in the business side of things and think they'll get that elsewhere,' he observed. 'I feel like it's more about the legacy for me, then everything else will come.'
Zayas discusses legacy with unusual concreteness for a fighter so early in his championship reign. 'Legacy will stay with me forever, even when I decide to retire or when I passed away,' he stated. 'I will be remembered as a champion that in his first title defense, went to get two titles in a matter of a six months span.' His goal is unequivocal: 'I'm going to collect two titles. I'm going to be the first Puerto Rican to ever unify titles in Puerto Rican soil.'
Cultural Significance and Historical Ambition
This distinction holds profound meaning for Zayas, representing both professional milestone and cultural achievement. 'The fact I'll be the first Puerto Rican to become unified champion in Puerto Rican soil means the world,' he expressed. 'I just keep writing history and that will always follow me, that will always be with me, no matter how much money, no matter what I do outside of the ring. I will always be a world champion. I will always be remembered as a world champion.'
While acknowledging boxing's financial realities—'Obviously everybody wants to make the best out of it as they can'—and the sport's physical toll, Zayas insists business considerations arrived later. 'When I was growing up, I didn't know that the professionals got paid,' he recalled. 'All I knew was professional fighters fight without head gear and get belts. So that was always the mindset. Just collect those belts, collect that legacy.' Only subsequently did monetary aspects enter his thinking.
Inspirations and Aspirations
The fighters who inspired this mentality form an illustrious roster. 'Miguel Cotto was a top guy, very respectful guy inside and outside the ring,' Zayas said. 'A gentleman… and that's something that I aspire to be.' He particularly admires how Cotto left the sport. 'He didn't feel the need to come back after his retirement,' Zayas noted. 'I want to be a fighter that doesn't need to do anything else when the time comes and proves himself every time.'
His list expands to include Manny Pacquiao, Felix Trinidad, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. 'Guys that have been there before, they've completed everything in boxing,' he reflected. 'So when you look at them, it's like, wow. That's what you aspire to be.'
Facing a Familiar Foe
Standing across the ring in San Juan will be Baraou, an opponent Zayas knows intimately from shared training sessions. 'We shared a couple of rounds - I'll say probably 80 plus rounds, maybe less, maybe a bit more,' he revealed of their sparring history spanning multiple camps. While cautioning against overinterpreting gym work, Zayas believes this familiarity provides advantage. 'When the body gets tired, when the mind gets fatigued, you're going to go back to those old habits,' he analysed. 'And those old habits are always going to be there, and I'm going to make him pay for all those habits every single time.'
Against Baraou's pressure-fighting style, Zayas considers movement crucial. 'My movement is always key,' he asserted. 'Nobody can keep up with my rhythm. Every time I get in a rhythm, it's hard for me to get off of it, and it's hard for them to keep up with it.' His strategy remains straightforward: 'Continue to do what I've been doing. Have fun, be relaxed in there. Just put on a show.'
Maintaining Focus Amid Danger
Nevertheless, Zayas remains vigilant, particularly after observing Baraou's late knockout in his previous fight. 'In boxing, every fighter is dangerous until the last bell sounds or the referee stops you,' he warned. 'Any punch can change the fight. Any punch can literally overturn the whole outcome of the fight.' His solution involves constant awareness. 'I have to be very, very mindful. I have to be active. I have to be smart. I have to be able to see everything.'
With a smile, he reached for cinematic metaphor. 'It's like The Matrix. I gotta slow motion everything, and then just have fun in there.' Ultimately, he believes concentration will prove decisive. 'It comes down to how focused I can be, and I know I can maintain focus for 36 minutes.'
A Venue Steeped in History
The Coliseo de Puerto Rico provides fitting backdrop, layered with symbolism. The arena first hosted boxing with Miguel Cotto's knockout of Kelson Pinto in 2004, subsequently staging world title fights for Ivan Calderon, Juan Manuel 'Juanma' Lopez and Roman Martínez. Only once before, in 2010, have two champions unified titles on the island.
Now this historic task falls to a fighter who began boxing simply to overcome fear, who embraced discipline before celebrity, and who measures success less by protecting an undefeated record than by what endures after gloves are finally retired. On January 31, against a familiar opponent and before expectant home crowd, Xander Zayas will test whether his philosophical approach can translate into permanent sporting legacy.
